Play It Forward: Top 10 sports events April 21-27 you won’t want to miss

In this March 28, 2014 photo, Pat Sauter trained with his daughter Katie near the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, Minn., for the Boston Marathon. More than 600 Minnesota runners will line up for the start of the Boston Marathon this year, including 212 who ran last year and say they're going back to finish what they started. (AP Photo/The Star Tribune, Elizabeth Flores)

NO. 1 THE 118th BOSTON MARATHON

Details/TV: Monday at 6:30 a.m., Universal Sports Network

“There’s a road race in Boston on Monday,” Boston Globe columnist Dan Schaughnessy wrote Sunday. “An actual athletic competition. Thousands of athletes will compete to see who can cover 26.2 miles faster than anybody else. Remember when the Boston Marathon was just a footrace? … Everything, of course, has changed. This year, the Boston Marathon belongs to the world. It stands as a symbol of American freedom and a population refusing to cower to terrorism. Bostonians, New Englanders, Americans, and citizens of the free world on Monday will return to Hopkinton to reclaim a celebration that last year was interrupted by murder and mayhem.” For example: There will be 100 runners in this year’s race as part of Team MR8, all picked by the Martin W. Richard Charitable Foundation to honor the 8-year-old who was the youngest of three who died during the bombings last year. One of those chosen, Pat Brophy was stopped with less than a mile to go from the finish line when the two blasts occurred. “I have unfinished business on that course,” she told CBS News this week. The group, who applied through the www.teammr8.org website, is made up of many who didn’t get to complete the race a year ago, but “they are also running for our son Martin, and finishing a race he wanted to someday run, but will never get the chance to,” his mother, Denise Richard, said in a statement to CBS News. Pre-race starts at 5:30 a.m. and race coverage ends at 10 a.m., with a one-hour wrap-up show at 1 p.m. A two-hour condensed version of the race airs from 5-7 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. with the wrap-up re-airing each time.

NO. 2 NBA PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

GAME 2: CLIPPERS vs. GOLDEN STATE

Details/TV: Staples Center, Monday at 7:30 p.m., Prime, TNT:

Any sense of urgency now that the Clippers find themselves trailing this series almost before it started? There were 51 fouls called and 60 free throws shot in the Warriors’ Game 1 win, dragging the pace out to a long yawn before a bunch of late-game drama ensued. Did the refs overrate to all the pre-series chirping? “All that hype absolutely had an impact on how the game was called,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “A lot of them were touch fouls.” Getting a little touchy, are we?

The series continues:

Game 3: At Golden State, Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Prime, TNT

Game 4: At Golden State, Sunday at 12:30 p.m., Channel 7

NO. 3 NHL PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

GAME 3: KINGS vs. SAN JOSE

The underlying story here is that if the Kings and Ducks emerge from these first-round series, they’ll face off against each other in the conference semifinals. That’ll make all Frozen Freeway Fury breaking loose. While the Kings come back home for two games after some rough times in San Jose, the Ducks ride a 2-0 series lead to Dallas behind the adrenalin rush of 28-year-old captain Ryan Getzlaf, who took a slap shot to his face in Wednesday’s opener and followed that by a lack of sleep following the birth of a daughter prior to scoring a goal and an assist in a 3-2 Game 2 win. “He’s a leader on this team for a reason,” said Corey Perry, Getzlaf’s linemate. The Kings’ series continues:

Game 4: Thursday at Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., FSW

Game 5: Saturday at San Jose, time TBD, FSW

The Ducks’ series continues:

Game 4: Wednesday at Dallas, 5 p.m.

Game 5: Friday at Anaheim, 7:30 p.m.

NO. 4 MLB: ANGELS at WASHINGTON

Details/TV: Monday-Wednesday, FSW

Albert Pujols is about to make some history by hitting his 500th career homer, but the MLB commercials have tried harder to put the spotlight on Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Harper shows up in a “timeless” spot, standing with Ted Williams and Babe Ruth, in the on-deck circle with Carlton Fisk, and going yard off Nolan Ryan. “Bryce Harper is only 21 years old, but he already looks like a legend,” goes the narration. As for Trout, the “Simon says” scenario that has hit hitting home runs, making a ridiculous catch and stealing a base, all on the command of some kid, is probably more palatable. The first time these two were linked is when they met at the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City, when both were on their way to their league’s respective Rookie of the Year Awards. But if you want to talk legendary production, Harper, hitting .295 this year with just one homer and five RBIs through his first 16 games, made some interesting headlines when he was pulled from a game against St. Louis for “lack of hustle” by manager Matt Williams. Meanwhile, Trout (.391, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs in his first 17 games) deserves a private tour of the White House during this D.C. trip for all he’s done for the game to date. And not to harp on it, but Trout could provide Subway sandwiches for everyone.

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NO. 5 MLB: ANGELS at N.Y. YANKEES

Details/TV: Friday-Sunday, FSW, FS1, ESPN

The finale of this series lines up for the Yankees to have Masahiro Tanaka as the starting pitcher, considering he gets through his Tuesday start in Boston without any major bumps and bruises. Tanaka (2-0, 2.05 ERA) has posted 28 strikeouts, most by any Yankee in his first three starts of the season, and that’s up against just two walks. The 25-year-old right-hander with the $155 million deal is looking like a big deal for now.

NO. 6 MLB: DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA

Details/TV: Dodger Stadium, Monday-Thursday, SNLA The climax to this series on Thursday is a Clayton Kershaw bobblehead giveaway. The real treat would have been if the defending Cy Young Award winner actually pitched at any time in this four-game stretch, but reports indicate he still isn’t coming back until mid-May as he works out some back tightness. There’s a better chance that he makes some rehab start in the Inland Empire. The Phillies, for what it’s worth, are finally trotting Cole Hamels back into the rotation on Wednesday (against Zack Greinke) after he missed the month of April as well, suffering from biceps tendinitis. Cliff Lee (2-2, 4.00), who struck out 13 and threw a career-high 128 pitches in a 1-0, complete-game loss against Atlanta in his last outing, starts the series for the Phillies. Chase Utley came into last weekend leading the league with a .429 average.

NO. 7 MLB: DODGERS vs. COLORADO

Details/TV: Dodger Stadium, Friday-Sunday, SNLA

The Dodgers invite you to stick around after Saturday’s contest and watch “Field Of Dreams” on the big screen. Here’s something that’s becoming a nightmare scenario: Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon. In a 12-2 win over Arizona on April 4, he went 6-for-6 with three doubles, five RBIs and four runs scored. The next night, he went 3-for-4 to raise his average to .619. He’s hitting .552 at home this season and .313 on the road.

NO. 8 COLLEGE FOOTBALL

UCLA SPRING GAME

Details/TV: StubHub Center, Saturday at 5 p.m., Pac-12 Network

Bruins coach Jim Mora can practice in Westwood, play games in Pasadena and hold summer camp in San Bernardino. So, with renovations going on at the Rose Bowl, why not head to Carson for this spring showcase event? “It is located in an area that allows us to expand our footprint in the Los Angeles market,” said Mora. “This is a great opportunity for our fans down south to watch the Bruins play in their own backyard.”

NO. 9 SWIMMING:

ARENA GRAND PRIX OF MESA

Details/TV: Thursday-Saturday, Universal Sports Network The fourth stop on the Arena Grand Prix Series sanctioned by USA Swimming takes place at the Skyline Aquatic Center in Mesa. Which we didn’t even know existed until 28-year-old Michael Phelps said last week he’d be showing up, hoping to if not make a splash, at least a ripple of news. The 22-time Olympic medalist has supposedly coming out of retirement to test the waters, so to speak, before considering a run at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He’s entered in the 100-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly (both Thursday) and will consider the 50 freestyle (Friday). Universal Sports has coverage Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. for the finals.

NO. 10 LEGENDS FOOTBALL LEAGUE

L.A. TEMPTATION vs. LAS VEGAS SIN

Details/TV: At Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Saturday at 8 p.m.

The organization once known as the Lingerie Football League is back. The temptation is to actually consider it a sporting event — but then, the Arena Football League’s L.A. Kiss also has a game on this night at Honda Center against something called the San Jose Sabercats (7 p.m., Ch. 9). The Temptations’ schedule has only four games, stretching it all the way to August. Enough time in between, apparently, to heal bruised knees and egos.